Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-08-13
CHAPTER XXI.

The Beers swooped down on them with a
shout, like a hawk on sparrow John pulled
up his horse and drew his revolver
Don't, DON'T" cried jess; our only chance
is to BIZ civil whereon thinking better of the
matter. he replaced it. and wished the lead
ing BOer good day.
"What are You doing heref asked the
Dutchman; wherein jess explained that they
had pass-whch John promptly produced
and were proceeding to MooifonteIn.
All, ON Crofts!' said the Boer as he took
the pass; "you are likely to meet burying
party there. and at the time jess did not
understand what he meant He eyed the pass
suspiciously all over, and then asked how it
came to be stained with water
jess, not daring to tell the truth, said that
it had been dropped into puddle The BOer
was about to return it, when suddenly his eye
fell upon jess saddle.
How is it that the girl is riding on mans
saddles7 he asked why, | know that sad
die; let me look at the other side Yes, there
is a bullet hole through the flap. That is
Swart Dirk's saddle How did you get it,"
Il bought it from him." answered jess,
without moments hesitation. Il could get
nothing TO ride on"
The Boer shook his head There are
plenty of saddles in Pretoria" he said, "and
these are not the days when man sells his
saddle to an English girl All! and that other
is q Boer saddle too. No Englishman has a
saddle cloth like that This pass is not suf-
ficientr he went on, in cold tone; lit should
have been countersigned by the local COM
mandant i must arrest YOU"
jess began to make further excuses. but he
merely repeated, Il must arrest you" and
gave some orders to the men with him.
1--WE are in for it again, she said to John;
land there is nothing for it but to go.
Il shan't mind SO much if only they will
give us some grub" said John, philosophy
cally Il am half starved"
land am half dead" said jess, with a
little laugh Il wish they would shoot us and
have done with it"
"Come. cheer up, jess, )" he answered; per
haps the luck is going to change"
She shook her head with the air of one who
expects the worst, and then some gay young
spirits among the Beers came up and made
things pleasant by an exhibition of their pol
ished wit, which they chiefly exercised at the
expense of poor jess, whose appearance was,
as may well he imagined, exceedingly
wretched and forlorn; so much so that II
would have moved the pity OF most people
But these specimens of the golden youth of
simple pastoral folk found i'll it a rich mine
of opportunities. They asked her If SHE
would not like to ride straddle legged, and il
she had bought her dress from an old Hotten
tot who had done with it, and if she had beer
rolling about tipsy in the veldt to get all the
mud on it; and generally awaited themselve:
of this unparalleled occasion to be witty al
the expense of an English lady in sore dis
tress. Indeed, one gay young dog, called ia
cobus, was proceeding from jokes linguistic
to jokes practical. Perceiving tina
jess only kept her seat on tn
mans saddle by the exercise Of Gu
rious faculty of balance, 1t occurred to hin
that it would be a fine thing to upset it ani
make her tall upon her face Accordingly
with a sudden twist of the rein he brough
his horse sharply against her wearied animal
nearly throwing it down; but she was to-
quick for him, and saved herself by catching
at the name jess said nothing; indeed, sh
made no answer to her tormentors, and fortu
nately John understood very little OF wha